The short answer by Ars Technica is “no”. Frankly I don’t know what’s more interesting, the notion that PS4 and XBox One are a relative bargain, or that a new Neo Geo would cost $1111 in today’s dollars.
It’s an older article but is worth revisiting now that the dust over Microsoft’s DRM stance has somewhat settled. AnandTech’s Anand Lai Shimpi goes into some expected serious depth here:
Differences in the memory subsytems also gives us some insight into each approach to the next-gen consoles. Microsoft opted for embedded SRAM + DDR3, while Sony went for a very fast GDDR5 memory interface. Sony’s approach (especially when combined with a beefier GPU) is exactly what you’d build if you wanted to give game developers the fastest hardware. Microsoft’s approach on the other hand looks a little more broad…It’s a risky strategy for sure, especially given the similarities in the underlying architectures between the Xbox One and PS4. If the market for high-end game consoles has already hit its peak, then Microsoft’s approach is likely the right one from a business standpoint. If the market for dedicated high-end game consoles hasn’t peaked however, Microsoft will have to rely even more on the Kinect experience, TV integration and its exclusive franchises to compete.
Web developer and speaker Kenneth Auchenberg makes a strong argument about how our web tool integration has a long way to go from where we are today. If you’re pressed for time, just skip right to his first flow chart, it’s sobering to read. Makes you step back and realize at times how ridiculous the disconnect is between our browser and code editor of choice.
Really smart intro by web developer Dudley Storey on the tech basics on how to properly integrate HTML5 full screen functionality. It’s something I’ve toyed with once or twice on some little side projects but never had the chance to go in further depth.
Seeing Hoefler and Frere-Jones jump into the web font game with their own custom delivery solution is super exciting. Can’t wait to see web sites jump on board this; I’d bet money the quality will be uniformly excellent.
Matt Zoller Seitz on season six (warning, full article and my notes below contain spoilers for the season finale):
I’ll revisit this whole season again later this week and write an overview piece. For now this strikes me as Mad Men’s weakest season overall, often lacking the thematic, visual and rhythmic unity of seasons one through five – though there’s a chance that it’ll feel more complete and organized once I’ve had a chance to re-watch the entire thing. It might even seem to have a certain “drunk’s logic” to it, with the show flailing and lurching and stopping and starting like Don groping toward his epiphany.
I’m no critic, and nowhere near the TV intelligence of a master like Seitz, but I’d agree with his assessment. Thematic unity was something that when I think back to the earlier seasons was really prevalent: Don’s struggles in season one, the women characters being brought to the forefront in season two. Naturally when you get to know these characters after this much time, some jumping around in season six was expected. But not quite this much. And frankly, while the great acting helped a lot (reason number one this show remains clearly one of the best on televison) I didn’t buy Don’s ‘coming clean’ moment at all.
I still can’t wait to revisit those Peggy and Don scenes at a later date. Just phenomenal work. I have no idea where Matt Weiner will be taking us for the last season but I’m excited.
Pretty brilliant set of links and advice from Guille Paz, Her Mammana and Lean Linares.
Press Play’s Arielle Bernstein:
In many ways, Mad Men’s insistence on denying us the pleasure of resolution is the secret to its success and the reason so many of us are hooked on it, despite being frustrated that nothing ever really changes, time and time again. Repetition of experience is electric. It grounds us in the past and connects us to the present. We think what we seek is an experience, which is new, but what we really want to feel connected to is an experience that makes us feel happy and safe, in a way we once felt happy and safe before.
Lead Paravel developer Dave Rupert:
If the web cannot keep pace with a native experience in speed (rendering in under 1000ms), we’re all going to be out of the job. An uptick in native app usage means budget dollars would follow the trend and be poured into native apps. Meanwhile public facing websites will be left to rot because no one cared and we littered the web with bullshit. Native wins, the web dies, Zeldman hangs up his beanie, and Sir Tim Berners-Lee cries a single tear.
Somewhat scary yet very relevant advice. Bottom line, web sites are perceived as “slow”, and it’s our job as developers to counter that notion. Dave emphasizes here that yes, a responsive or pared down approach to images is difficult. Yet it’s critical work.
Developer Will Vaughn:
Yeoman isn’t about taking plays from someone else’s playbook, its about designing your own offensive scheme, and executing it.
I really enjoyed reading Will’s experience sitting down with Yeoman for the first time and feeling…completely overwhelved. Been there, done that. But there’s some great advice here on how to start with Yeoman in small but effective steps. He leads with Grunt, something I’m already a huge fan of. It’s enough for me to get back on the Yeoman bandwagon and give it a try.